Automatic accordion



Dec. 15, R N R AUTOMATI C ACCORDION Filed May 18, 195 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 @i INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY Dec. 15, 1931. R. GEARTNER AUTOMATIC ACCORDION Filed May 18, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M; I N VEN TOR. I

A TTORNEY Dec. 15, 1931. R. GEARTNER 1,836,961

AUTOMATI C ACCORDI ON Filed May 18, 1931 4'Shee,t'sSheet 3 INVENTOR: zf ,5. 9 a

ATTORNEY 1931- R. GEARTNER 1,836,961

AUTOMAT IC AC CORDI ON Filed May 18. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I N VEN TOR:

AZeZ/w M QM Z A TTORNE Y Patented Dec. 1 5,

i -RHHARID GEABTNEK OF MOULTON, TEXAS AUTOMATIC ACCORDION gn' ifiiiceaon'nlea Key 1a, 1931. Serial No. 533,104.

' This invention tom's generally to automatic "or self playing a emaepmitu an cordion.

"musical instruments to an automatic ac- "The'inain'oliject-ofthe invention to prov'ide-a r'nechanism wherebyan accordion or similar Wind operated instrument may be sumnmicsily*-piayed and the various keys H thereofdepressedinpropersequence and combinations under'the control of the note determining perforations in a conventional form-ofn'msic roller scroll.

Another object is to provide a mechanism v of this krndw'hichincludes a means for suppiying' compressed "air'to the accordion so that its bellowsneed not be expanded and contractedand so that its ends may remain stationary whereby operating mechanisms V mounted adjacentth'e ends ofthe accordion rating the keys thereof.

Still another 'ob]ect is to provide incombin'ati'on with =an--accordion or like wind instrmnent h'aving banks of movable keys, 0 suitable frames' monnted adjacent the keyboards, pivot shafts or rods extended thru the frame in spaced relation, levers pivoted in'spaced relationupon the rods "with one end of the levers-having a bearing upon the ating' said levers;

keys,-andelectro magnetic' means for oper- Another object istoprov-idea device of the above character in a novel, efii'cient and relativelysimple form. 1 Y with these and' othenobjects in view'the inventionresides-in the novel construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth 'and claimed, reference "being had to theaccompanyin'g drawings wherein is iln lustrated byway of exenrplification a preferred' embodiment of the invention and wherein Y cordion."

PFignre 2 is' 'an enlarged section along the line- 2-2 in I Figure 1'.

Figure 3 is anianlarged section along the line'H-inFigm-e 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the melody key board of the accordion and a part of the operating mechanism for the keys thereof.

Figure 5 is a detail side View of a portion of the operating electromagnets.

Figure 6 is a. detail in perspective of the method of mounting the key operating levers on their supporting pivot shafts.

Figure 7 is a sectional detail view showing the form of music roll or scroll assembly used in controlling the operation of the key operating mechanism.

' Figure 8 is a diagrammatic wiring plan of the operating mechanism for one key of the accordion.

Referring now with more particularity to the drawings and as shown in Figure 1 thereof a case or housing 1 is provided the same H being preferably, though of course not necessarily divided into three compartments or sections 2, 3 and i set apart by horizontal shelves 5 and 6. The numeral '7 designates a conventional two octave accordion having the piano type melody key board 8 and the button type bass and chord key board 9, the former having the usual white keys 10 and black keys 11 and the latter the usual push button keys 12.

The accordion 7 is mounted horizontally and centrally in the case 1 on mounted in the case 1 as for instance in the lower compartment 4 thereof and the output thereof is conducted to the interior of the accordion 7 through a tube 17 connected to an elbow 18 on the said accordion. Air under pressure is thus provided in the accordion to operate the reeds thereof when the keys are pressed Without necessitating the usual expansion and contraction of the bellows 14. The ends of the accordion thus remain stationary allowing the use of operating mechanisms mounted at its ends on the shelf 5 for operating or pressing the keys.

Tie operating mechanism or assembly for the melody key board 8 will be first described. This key board in the accordion here shown contains fifteen white or natural keys and ten black or sharp and flat keys making a total of twenty-five operating levers and elements necessary. A lower plate 19 is secured by screws 19a to the shelf 5 beside the end of the accordion 7 and two spaced pivot shafts or rods and 21 are vertically secured 1n this plate by nuts 22 and extend alongside and adjacent the edge of the key board as shown. An upper plate 23 is provided and the upper ends of the shafts 20 and 21 are secured thereto by nuts 24. One pivot shaft as for instance 20 is disposed somewhat rearwardly of the other shaft 21, and the former carries the arms or levers 25 for operating the white or natural keys 10 while the latter carries the arms or levers 26 for operating the black or through the inner ends of the lever sections 27 and 28 and are threaded in the carriers 2-9 whereby the said sections are held, rigidly in the channels 31. The carriers 29 with their levers 25 and 26 are mountedon the shafts 20 and 21 one above the other as shown and a collar 33 is mounted beneath each carrier, the collars being provided with set screws 34 whereby they may be secured in any desired position upon the shafts to support the various levers at the proper height and in the proper spacing so that the ends thereof will rest adjacent the keys on the key board 8 which they are to operate. This arrangement is clearly shown in Figure 4. Theends of the levers 25 and 26 adjacent the keys 10 and 11 are twisted axially through an arc of ninety degrees and are a-ngularly bent as shown at 56 in Figure 3 to rest in'substantially parallel relationship with the keys when in their inoperative position and these ends of the levers have felt striking pads 35 to contact the keys in the operation of the levers. The purpose of these pads 35 will be obvious. The opposite ends of the levers'25 and 26 have apertures 36 for a purpose to be described. A plurality of electromagnetic operating elements 37 for the levers 25 and 26 are provided, one for each lever, and each operating element comprises an electroma'gnet 38 secured to one leg 39 of an L-shaped bracket 40, the other leg 41 of which extends alongside and parallel to the electromagneti An arm 42 is pivoted intermediate its ends to the end of the leg 41 of the bracket 40 at 43, the inner end of the said arm 42 being disposed adjacent the end of the electromagnet 38 and adapted to be drawn towards that end when the electromagnet is energized thus swinging the arm on its pivot 43. When the end of the arm 42 is swung inward to the end of the electromagnet 38 as described its other orouter end comesin contactwith a rubber bumper 44 carried by the member 45 secured to the bracket leg 41, this bumper limiting the said swinging movement of the arm and preventing the noise which otherwise would occur if the. arm struck the end of. the electromagnet. The operating elements 37 thus formed are secured in spaced relationship by the legs'39 of the brackets'40 to .twoangle irons46 and 47 secured vertically between the upper and lower plates119 and 23 of the melody key operating mechanism}; The angle iron 46 carries the electromagnets for operatingthe levers 25 and the other angle iron 47 carries the electromagnetsfor operatingthe levers 26, the said-angle iron 46 being mounted adj acentthe outer'edges'of the plates 19 and 23 and towards the rear; of the same while the angle iron 47..i s mounted adjacent the front and innercorner of; the-said plates.

The. electromagnets on the two angle. irons blocks 51 are disposed on the rods 49 at each side of the endsof the armsl42 and are held loosely in engagementtherewith bynuts 52 threaded on theirods .as shown. I It will thus be apparent that when the electromagnets 38 are energized and the arms 42 are operated thereby as described, the swinging movement of'the outer ends 48 of the said arms will be transmitted through the connecting rods 49 to the levers25 and 26 causing the sameto loo swing on the pivot rods 20 and 21 and causing their inner endsvtorengage and depress the keys 1O and ll. When the energization of the electromagnets- 38 is cut off the keys 10 and 11 will in the usual-manner return to their normal position and the levers 25 and 26 and arms 42 will likewise return to normal position. In their normal position the ends of: the arms. 42 adjacent the. electromagnets 38 rest against vertically set bumper-rods; 53

secured at their ends by nuts 54 to the upper and lower plates '19 and 23 and co'veredwith rubber tubing 55 as shown. The levers 42 are thus prev'ented from-rattling by coming in contact with the bumpers 44and the rubber 12 in; each of the three rows asshown, the

"ms sis-mounted between the upper: and lower pl8tes is and 23 forms a unit for operating 1 'the- 'keys of the melody-ke board 8 and the u"nitniay beieadily removed from the shelf holding-'thelowerplate 19 in place. The bass keyeperating meehanism is simii let" to-the' melody key operatingmecha'nism and is located adjaeent the oppo'site end-of 'f f the' sederdien; A "lower plate58 is secured J? by screws 59 to the shelf 1 s a'djacent the end ofthe; accordion and three pivot-"shafts 60, 61- and 62are securedwertically to the lower -p1ate*by nuts" 63;"thesaid pivot shafts beang spaced apart laterally and-disposed one behind the otherfi' An upper plate 71 is provlded andth e pivot shafts'are secured thereto {,-"by huts 72. Each p'i vot shaft carries eight I operating levers to operate-the eight bass keys 'flevei's'64'on the forward shaft operating thekeys oaths first or inner row, the levers '65 on the next shaft 61*op'eratin'g the keys on "*the'second or middle' row and'the levers 66 -en therear shaft 62 operating the keys on the tIiii'dorputer row as b'est seen in Figure 2. Tiike" the aforesaid operatinglevers 25 and 26' thes'ebperaiting levers 64-, 65 and 66' are formed intwo sections connected to' carriers or ivot'blocks 29'rot'atably mounted on'the "*p'i ot "sliafts'60, 61'and'62'and-held in proper spaced relationshipthereon' by adjustable coliers 33 so that the'ends of the levers'will rest "overth keys" they are to operate." The end po'rtions er the levers 64; 65 and 66 are twisted a ially through an arc ofninety degrees as indicatedat 67, the end portions of the levers 64adj'acent 'the'acco'rdion Tbeing "also bent v "ar'cuatelyre'arward and havingtheir extreme ends '68 turned sharply outward to lie in substantially alignment with and proximity to the ends of the keys 12. Similarly the levers 64 are bent arcuately rearward and have their extreme ends 69 bent inward to rest in like manner adjacent the ends of the second row of keys 12. The levers 66 are bent angularly outward and extend over the ends of the last or outer row of keys. Felt pads 70 are provided on the ends of all of the levers to contact the keys 12. Three sets of eight electro-magnetic operating elements 37 similar to those used in the melody key operating mechanism are provided, the same being mounted on angle irons 46 secured vertically between the upper and lower plates 71 and 58 and arranged one behind and inwardly of the other as shown, the elements 37 on the outermost and front angle iron operating the forward levers 64, those on the next angle iron operat- The energization of the electromagnets 38 will thus swing the operating levers 64, 65 "and 66-on the pivot shafts 60, 61 and 62and moving the screws 59.

and a plurality of small brushes Fare ar I brushes F only make contact with the contact ment of one electromagnet 38 is shown. One" innerangle iron operating the levers 66. To facilitate their connection to these operating elements 37- the forward levers 64 extend outwardly beyond the ends of the next levers 65 andtheends of these levers 65 extend outwardly beyond the ends of the rear levers 66. Connecting rods or links 49 connect these ends of the levers 64, 65 and 67 with the ends 1 of the arms'42 of the electromagnetic operatwhenneeessary byremovingthe'screws 19a passing loosely at their ends through the ends 1 of the levers and arms-and having wooden blocks 51 at each side held in place by nuts 52 in-the 'manner hereinbefore described.

cause'the ends of the levers to press upon and operate the keys 12. The keys 12 will return to 1 their normal position when the current through the electromagnets-38 is cut off and the operating levers and arms 42 will. return to their normal position. Bumper rods 53 covered by rubber tubing 55 are provided to engage the arms 42 when they are in their *normal position. Like the operating mechanism for the melody key board this operating mechanism for the bass key board forms a unit which may be readily removed by re- M In order to energize the various electromagnets 38 in the proper sequence and in the proper combinations to press the desired keys of the accordion and play a composition of music a conventional music roll or scroll A 6 is utilized, the same being wound on the spools B mounted in the stand C on the shelf 6. The motor D operates the spools C. The paper A passes behind the contact roller E ranged behind this roller and are adaptedto contact the same through the perforations G in the paper as the same is rolled from one spool to the other by the motor D. The no roller E during the time the perforations G are'in registry with the brushes as will be understood, the spacing and'position of the perforations thus determining the number and sequence of operations of the brushes The foregoing structure is conventional in fo'rmand no invention therefor is herein claimed.

Referring to Figure 8 the wiring arrangeterminal of the winding of the electromagnet is grounded at 74 to any suitable part of the frame supporting the'electromagnets and the other terminal is connected by a wire 75 to one of the brushes F. The source of elec-' trical current for energizing the electromagnets is shown as being a conventional form of rotary converter Hfor converting alterhating current to direct current and one ter-..

ing the levers 65 and those on the rear and min al thereof is connectedby a wire 76 to the -contact roller E; while the other terminalconverter H will be connected through the 7 brush and roller to the electromagnet 38 energizing the same and causingthe lever 64to press the key 12. j The operation and wiring of the other electromagnets 38 are exactly the same, each electromagnet being connected to a separate brush F by a wire 7 5. The perforations G in the music roll A beingt'hen properly disposed and cut the electromagnets 38 will be energized in proper sequence and combination to press the various keys of the i accordion so that it will play the desired composition. It is obvious that any other suitable source ofdirect current other than the converter H maybe used as desired and. it will be also obvious that the form of music 1 rollin'which streams of compressed air flow through theperforations and operate switches to make the electrical contacts may be used in lieu of the brush and contact roller form here, shown. To facilitate the wiring of the electromagnets 38 insulating connecting or binding post strips 78 are secured by screws 79 and spacers 80 to the angle irons e6 supporting said electromagnets. The ungro-unded terminals of the electromagnets are connected to screws 81 in these strips 78, and the Wires 75 connecting the electromagnets and the brushes F are then connected to these screws and cabled together as shown at 82 in V Figure 5. r I

The operation of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description, Any

.; desired or suitable form of starting and stopping switch (no-t shown) may of course be used vtoicontrol the compressor 16, motorD w and converter H or the same may be controlled, by the lnsertion of a 001D; in a coin controlled switch in conventional manner. As herein before pointed out the use of the air compressor 16 whereby the ends ofthe accordlon may remain stationary makes possiblethe use ofthe operating mechanisms rality of pivoted levers mounted adjacent the ends of the accordion and adapted to engage the keys thereof, and means for operating said levers to press the keys'of the accordion. 2. Ina musical instrument, an accordion having keys at its ends, an air compressor for supplyingcompressed air tothe accordion, the ends thereofremaining stationary, a pluralityof pivoted levers arranged at the ends of the accordion to engage the keys thereof, electromagnetically.operated means for op erating said levers to press the. accordion keys, and means for selectively energizing the said lever operating means.

3. In a musical instrument, in

with a perforated music roll, an accordion operating levers arrangedadjacent the ends of the accordion to engage the keysthereof, and electromagnetic operating means for operating the saidlevers'to press thekeys of the music. roll. p v I 4. In a musical instrument, in combination with a source of current and perforated scroll,

accordion'under the controljof the perforated a contact rolleron one side of the scroll and brushes on the other side adapted tocontact said contactroller through the. perforations in the scr.oll,an accordion, anair compressor connected to the interior of the accordion,

operating mechanisms arranged adj acentthe ends of theaccordion, the said operating 7 mechanismscomprising a plurality of pivot ed levers adapted to-engage the keys of the accordion, electromagnets, arms pivoted to the electromagnets for swinging movement thereon and under the, control thereof, rods connecting the said levers and the armson the. electromagnets, the said electromagnets being connected to the. source of current through the said brushes and contact roller.

I .In testimonyvwhereof I aflix my signature. RICHARD GEARTNER.

secured adjacent the ends to operate the key thereon so that an efficient and durable arrangement isprovided. lVhile I have herein set forth'a certain manner and method of construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention it is ,understood that I may vary from the same in minor structural details so as best to construct a practical device for the purposes intended,not departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims. 7

I claim: 1. In amu'sical instrument,'an accordion having keys at its ends, means forsupplying V compressed air to the interior of the accordion V to operate the reeds thereof without expan- 1 sion and contraction of the accordion,j a plucombination' 

